The door to the charity home swung open and Meilin helped Azula through. The Earth Kingdom teen supported her injured roommate by her right elbow, helping her stand upright while she walked on numb, shaky legs.
Azula grimaced in pain and effort as she lifted her feeble legs up and through the threshold, every muscle burning, and quivering, from exhaustion and lack of control. She and Meilin had waited at the hospital for over an hour for her motor skills to improve. Now she was able to stand and walk on her own but the effort was still taxing. She needed her roommate's assistance lest she fall.
At last, she stood within the confines of the charity home on her shaky legs inside the recessed entryway. After giving a word of warning, Meilin let go of her roommate and shut the door.
Azula maintained her balance. Steady on her own, she breathed a weary sigh and hung her head in relief. In her heart, she knew, at last, that the day's ordeal was finally, completely, totally over. She lifted her head and gazed around the quaint, if not spartan, interior of the charity home's hallway, her eyes heavy with exhaustion. I never thought I'd say this but… I'm glad to be back. She began to slip out of her sandals.
Meilin stared at the empty hallway. "I wonder if Katsumi and the others are back…" She thought aloud, her voice betraying a level of nervousness. No one had come to greet them. The house was eerily quiet.
Just then, Mr. Chen appeared in the hallway and approached them at a heightened pace. "Thank the gods you're back!" He spoke in relief and allayed worry. He stepped into the threshold and donned his shoes. "Katsumi told me everything. Get your shoes on, Yuki. You need to come with me. Now." He pulled his cloak off the hook and slipped it on.
Azula's jaw dropped at the old man. "What? Where? I just got back!" A knot of dread turned in her stomach. Hopefully he wasn't suggesting what she thought he was.
"Into town," he confirmed her worst fears. "Come on, we have to go." He moved toward the door.
Azula's eyes widened. She slinked backward and placed her body in front of the door, impeding the old mans' path. "What do you mean we're going back out?! I can barely move!"
Mr. Chen looked her over, from head to toe. "You can stand."
Azula felt the knot turn tighter. "Yes, but my legs are weak and my back hurts!" She protested. "I'm not going back out there!"
"Yuki," Mr. Chen spoke her false name in a serious tone. He leaned down to match her shorter stature and grasped her by the shoulders lightly. "Yuki, listen to me, child. You attacked very bad, very powerful people. Just because you fought back and the police released you doesn't mean you aren't still in danger. We need to put a stop to these people before they do anything else, do you understand? You need to come with m. Now."
At that, Azula's face softened and her trepidations faded. "Oh," she said quietly, realizing her error. "You mean we're going to go eliminate them," she phrased his vague terms more specifically. Her heart swelled with something like excitement and pride. She would have smiled if not for her current incapacitated condition. "But I can't fight right now, or for three weeks or more. I'm injured."
Mr. Chen's face warped in utter bafflement. "What? No! We're going to see someone who can protect us from them!" He took his hands off her shoulders and reached around her back for the door knob. "Let's go."
But Azula didn't. She pressed her rump against the door knob and stared at the charity home's patriarch, her face strained and her stomach sick with dread at the prospect of venturing back out there. "But I already defended us from them," she reminded the old man forcefully, feeling her heart sink as she heard the same kind of opposition from as she had received from the doctor. "What's the problem?"
"No, Yuki, you didn't. You simply fought back. There's much more they can still do to you—to us—if we don't get help. Come on, let's go." He reached around her with force and grabbed hold of the door knob.
"Hey! Watch it!" She stumbled out of the way as her technical superior pulled the door open without regard to her presence or wounds. She pivoted around gingerly and watched as the old man started down the steps.
"Come on, Yuki," he repeated. "Let's go. We don't have much time."
Azula gaped in horror. He was serious. He actually wanted her to follow him, after all she had just gone through! Suddenly, she became acutely aware of her own exhaustion and pain. Her gut wrenched solid and her heart filled with despair."But I don't want to!" She stomped her right foot in protest, feeling on the verge of tears.
"Right now," the old man replied. "We have to go."
"No…!" Azula groaned and felt as if she would cry. She was being ordered to do this, by someone who was supposed to have this power over her. The doctor had already forced compliance out of her and now Mr. Chen was doing same.
Azula's face twisted in misery. She imagined the never-ending ordeal of walking down the steps, along the street and to wherever Mr. Chen intended and back, as every stop and motion of her body brought horrendous pain. It hurts so much right now, even with the clove oil! She shut her eyes tightly and remained rooted in place, feeling as if she were being torn in half.
"Yuki…"
She heard a soft voice. Her eyes opened and she found Meilin next to her.
"Please do what Mr. Chen says," the Earth Kingdom teen pleaded. "Please."
Azula turned her head to view her foreign roommate's face and stared into her big, green eyes. There was fear in them. The former princess' expression softened. Her roommate's request wasn't merely about following Mr. Chen's orders but based on fear of something, like Izumi had been, and now Mr. Chen.
The charity home's patriarch returned to the doorway and urged her again.
Azula's shoulders slumped. She turned to the door and followed her superior down the steps, all the while Meilin supported her by the elbow.
"Stay here," Mr. Chen ordered the Earth Kingdom teen once they had arrived at the bottom of the stoop. "This is for Yuki and me alone."
Meilin said goodbye and returned to the house while both she and the old man started down the sidewalk on their way to the nearest rickshaw station.
Her whole body felt weak and her eyes sunken with exhaustion. She still didn't have her bending and every time her hard sandals landed on the ground a shock wave of searing, tingling pain clawed through her wounds. Before long, her face collapsed back into a sick, tired frown.
"I just want to lie down!" Her voice quivered and her lower trembled as she fought to avoid crying in public. "I didn't even get any ice cream…"
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
The rickshaw jerked to a halt and shook as it settled on its hard legs, sending shock waves of pain through Azula's back. She sucked in a sharp breath and bit down on her teeth as she rode the waves of pain.
Mr. Chen stepped out of the rickshaw first and offered his hand to his injured housemate. Azula rose very slowly, very carefully, to prevent her flimsy hospital-supplied clothes from catching on her stitches. Thin, rough-stitched and uncolored, her simple top probably gave her the appearance of a beggar.
She took Mr. Chen's steady hand and stepped off the cart. Once more, pain rocketed through her lacerations as her feet landed on the solid ground. Her eyelids screwed shut and her face scrunched into an ugly grimace. Ugh, either the numbing agent is wearing off or my wounds are that bad. God, now I know why this is a punishment…
Her eyelids still shut, she listened to Mr. Chen exchange coins with the rickshaw-man, followed by the rattle of the cart's wheels as it pulled away.
"Come, Yuki," the old man's voice directed. "This way."
Her eyelids peeled opened. Immediately, she was struck by the sight before her: the blue, calm bay reflecting with the light and clouds of the afternoon sky. She heard the gentle slap of rippling waves against the shore and the piercing squaw of gulls. She even smelled the salty scent of ocean air, seaweed and—her nose wrinkled—the pungent odor of dead fish.
To her left and right, wooden sailing ships lay moored to wharves that extended into the water while the docks themselves were covered in crates, piles of cargo and dockworkers handling it all. While traveling in the rickshaw, she had kept her head down to better conceal herself and because her wounds hurt too much to sit comfortably. In the end, Mr. Chen had delivered her to a pier on the waterfront. She had gotten to see it after all.
She craned her neck to the left to find Mr. Chen waiting for her, several steps ahead. The pier continued past him in a straight line beyond the eye could see. Buildings lined the shoreward side while more ships and cargo warehouses lined the seaward side, with a smattering of townsfolk and dragon-moose-drawn carriages traveling in between.
"Where?" Azula replied shrewdly. "I'm not going a step farther until you tell me exactly what we're doing."
Mr. Chen stopped, turned and drew near. He kept his voice low. "We're going to see a man who has the power to stop those yakuza from taking revenge on you. Believe me, he has the power to do this. He owns that seaman's hotel over there." He turned. "There." He pointed. "The building with the red roof and blue trim."
Her eyes narrowed as she peered past the old man, in the direction his arm was pointed. She spotted the building. "Okay," she accepted his description, still feeling a bit doubtful as to the need to see this man but at least understanding the purpose.
"Follow me." Mr. Chen turned around and started forward, his pace impressively quick for a man of his age… And entirely too fast her to keep pace. "Come on, Yuki!" He said over his shoulder. "Quickly!"
Azula growled. "I can't! Remember?!" She made no attempt to walk faster lest she stretch the muscles in her back too far.
Mr. Chen halted, spun around and frowned in shock and dismay. "I'm so sorry, dear!" He apologized and arrived at her side. "I wasn't thinking!" He placed one hand beneath her right elbow to support her and his other hand on her back to—
"OW! NOT THERE!" She shrieked.
Mr. Chen retracted his hand as if he had touched a hot stove. "Sorry! I'm so sorry…" He lowered his hand to her waist but it hovered dangerously close to her wounds.
"Don't touch me at all!" She snapped. His hands went away altogether. "Just… Don't walk too fast," she took a more gentle tone.
Mr. Chen traveled close beside her as he led them both to their destination.
The strength in her legs was steadily returning but each movement was a deliberate effort to stay balanced. If I'm found by Zuko's agents now, I won't stand a chance. How do I get THEM to kill me? I don't even have a knife on me to do it myself!
Fear made a hard lump in her throat. She swallowed it down but it remained. Lu Ten would understand, right? He might not. She had no choice but to hope for the best.
After traveling a short distance along the pier, they arrived at the entrance to the so-called 'seaman's hotel'. The entrance was adorned in nautical-themed memorabilia: ropes, nets, shells, an anchor, including blue-tinted, wavy glass windows and two wooden mermaid statues flanking the door.
Her brow lowered.
The mermaids' chests were bare and their tails were splayed apart in two halves in an… Unusual manner.
What the? Why are they—?
"Be polite and respectful," Mr. Chen advised. "Don't make any rash decisions, either. We need this man's help." He grasped the doorknob and pulled the door open. He beckoned her inside.
After a moment's hesitation, she stepped into the shadowed interior…
… And viewed a sight unlike she had ever seen.
There were tables. Lots and lots of tables, with men of various ages, shapes and size seated at them. They were playing cards and board games all the while partaking in food and drink. Other men sat on floor cushions smoking pipes and appearing very relaxed, either talking to one another or sleeping.
On one side of the room ran a long, high counter with equally high stools, and behind that, a series of shelves stocked with a vast array of glass bottles full of colored liquids.
The moment she stepped inside, a sweet, smoky scent filled her nostrils and the sounds of conversation, mirth, laughter and music filled her ears. At the farthest end of the dimly-lit space, music played from a band comprised entirely of women.
Immediately, she noticed there were far, far more men than women in the large space. What women there were, other than the band, roamed the interior carrying trays of food and drink, talking to the men, sitting with them, laughing, smiling, and…
Azula's stomach knotted.
Wearing hardly any clothes.
Her face cringed in puzzlement and unease. Why are they—?
She flinched when she heard the door click shut and Mr. Chen return to her side.
What… IS this place? Her mind swam from what she saw. And why are the women… 'Dressed' like that?
From across the room, one of the barely-dressed women noticed the new arrivals. She stopped what she was doing and headed toward them, her hips swaying much more than necessary and her face adorned in a big, bright, toothy smile.
"Hi! Welcome to the Flying Fish!" The woman greeted them sweetly. "What can I do for you both?"
Azula continued to cringe in discomfort. Reflexively, and against her manners, her eyes flicked to the woman's feet then shot back to her face in a quick scan of her body and garb.
The woman's legs were entirely bare, save for the sandals on her equally bare feet and the narrow red-and-yellow loin cloth tied around her waist that dangled to her ankles and covered both front and back... Barely. She wore a simple faux gold bracelet on her right wrist, a similar gold arm cuff on her right bicep and a flat flower petal necklace, all of which were eerily similar to ones she owned at the palace.
Moving up along the woman's body, her breasts were supported by a simple brassier that was much, much skimpier than what she had ever seen Ty Lee wear.
The woman's lips were colored red with paint and she had long, black-brown hair like her own. Her skin was beige, again, like her own, and she had amber eyes that could have come straight from a mirror image of herself. It was as if the woman was dressed to go swimming or bathing, only she wasn't in a place for either. She appeared the same age as Katsumi.
Azula remained stiff and uncomfortable as she stared at the woman. She didn't respond to the question.
"Is Shinzo here?" Mr. Chen replied to the woman's question.
The woman cocked her head a bit but her cheerful expression did not change. "What do you need?"
"Protection," Mr. Chen said stoically.
"I'll go check!" The woman smiled. "Stay here…" She spun around gracefully and walked away swiftly, repeating those same accentuated movements that made her loincloth sway, and threaten to reveal what lay behind it.
Azula cringed even more now that the woman's back was turned. She leaned toward Mr. Chen without taking her eyes off the bizarre scene. "Is this what all hotels are?" She murmured, honestly confused and curious, as she had never been to a 'hotel'. It was just a concept in her palace-centered mind.
"Only ones where sailors can lose a lot of money" he answered solemnly.
Azula observed a fully grown, equally as scantily clad, woman sitting on the lap of a fully grown man, and hang off him in a childish manner. She wondered what the old man had meant.
Meanwhile, the woman who had greeted them arrived at the far end of the dim, smoky room. She stopped at a door that was flanked by two men in plain clothes, both of them appearing as sentries. They weren't scantily clad, Azula noted to herself. The woman held a brief conversation with the men, turned back around and returned to her new guests.
"Yes, he's here!" The woman affirmed merrily. "If you two will follow me…" She spun around again and headed in that same direction.
Mr. Chen started forward. "Follow me," he whispered tensely. "Don't be scared. Just keep your head down." He clasped his hand around one of hers.
Azula scowled. "I'm not scared!" She whispered sharply and yanked her hand out of his. Immediately, she bit down on her teeth as pain screamed through her back and shoulder blades from the harsh motion of her arm. Shivering with pain, she stepped forward and followed behind the woman, her face wrought with determination.
I'm not 'scared', I'm just… Uncomfortable, is all. I don't know where I am, or what's going on. I don't know how to live here on my own and people keep telling me I'm in 'danger' but they haven't said for what or why. I can barely move, I can barely fight, I can't firebend, I—
A knot twisted in her gut and she felt her confidence fade. Her hard expression sagged into a troubled, uncertain frown.
I guess I am scared.
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
She and Mr. Chen were lead by two guard-like men through a labyrinth of hallways lit by sunlit windows, the scantily-clad woman having dropped them off at the door. No sounds of merriment or music could be heard, nor did any scantily-clad women roam. It was just doors, doors and more doors. Perhaps this was the 'hotel' portion of the hotel.
One of the guards led them by the front while the other followed in the rear, with her and Mr. Chen in between. The two men wore finely tailored robes and carried themselves in a very rigid, erect manner as if they were soldiers or well-trained guards. They were certainly not hotel patrons. She had a keen sense they were firebenders.
Mr. Chen said this 'Shinzo' man could help us but why would a master have a dojo in a place like this?
They turned a corner and arrived at a short stretch of hallway that bore a single door at the far end. The hallway itself was longer than it was wide and flanked by two dragon statues, each painted in vibrant colors. Sitting at a small table near the door were two men dressed in similarly fine clothes. They appeared relaxed and distracted, until they noticed the new arrivals. The two men perked up and rose.
The man leading her and Mr. Chen halted. "Wait here," he ordered as he walked away into the hall, toward the door. The two men at the table acknowledged him with a quick glance before they returned their eyes to the two newcomers. The man arrived at the door, rapped on it twice, waited a moment and cracked it open. He slipped inside and shut the door behind him.
They waited.
Mr. Chen turned to her. "When we meet Shinzo, bow with respect and sit on your knees. We are imploring him for his help."
Azula raised an eyebrow. "You mean we're begging," she replied.
"However you want to put it."
Azula sighed and rolled her eyes. Well, if he IS such a great firebender, then that warrants at least some respect. It's not like I don't know how to be respectful…
They didn't wait long. The door swung open and the man who had gone inside held it open. "You can come in," he instructed. "Remove your shoes."
"Let's go, Yuki," Mr. Chen said resolutely and lead the way into the dojo...
… Only it wasn't. Not even close. She found herself inside a mere room, longer than it was wide with a spread of windows along one wall that glowed with shaded sunlight. Numerous pieces of polished furniture and opulent artwork decorated the space, along with a recessed sitting area in the middle and a large desk at the far end that sat atop a raised dais. Two more men sat on chairs in the corners of the dais while a lone man sat behind the desk. The man at the desk was busy scribbling something on a sheet of parchment. As she and Mr. Chen entered the room, the man at the desk looked up from his work.
"Bo!" The man greeted warmly. "It's been a long time. Welcome."
Mr. Chen bowed deeply at the waist. "Thank you for meeting with us, Shinzo. We are honored."
Azula eyed the man for a moment, then bowed the same. Mr. Chen walked forward and stepped down into the recessed sitting area. He seated himself carefully on one of the luxurious cushions, on his knees.
"Sit comfortably, Bo," the man at the desk recommended. "I know you're getting up there in years."
"Thank you, Shinzo, but I still have many more left in me. Come, Yuki." Mr. Chen beckoned with his hand.
'Yuki' remained standing where she had entered, studying the man behind the desk. He was middle-aged, had short black hair and a lean face; he was clean-shaven, had a sharp jawline and his eyes were brown. His clothes were fine silk and his desk was polished mahogany, covered in stacks of papers and leather-bound books. Despite these details, nothing in the room suggested a place of training.
Azula's brow wrinkled in confusion. "Are you the firebending master?" She asked with puzzlement.
The man gave a brief chuckle and he smiled in amusement. "A master of one is a master of none," he replied. "Please." He motioned with his hand toward the cushions. "Sit."
The door shut behind her and the hair on the back of her neck stood straight. She glanced over her shoulder.
Her eyes widened at what they saw.
There were two more men inside the room, behind her, flanking the door, appearing clearly as guards, and hanging from their belts were sheaths, and inside those sheaths were swords, real swords.
One of the sword-wielding men gave her a simple nod but both of them stared at her with cool, shrewd expressions.
She felt a stab of fear and her heart started to pound. What is this place? What have I been brought to?! She turned her body and crept away from the guards, toward Mr. Chen.
The man at the desk studied the scene carefully. A few seconds later, he let out a hearty chuckle. "Don't be alarmed, miss," he explained in a friendly tone. "They're simply my personal guards. They're suspicious of everyone. Now, please, join Bo on the floor. Make yourself comfortable."
Her eyes darted to the man behind the desk, then back to the swordsmen, then back to the two other men flanking the dais. She searched their forms for any signs of weapons but found none, and in that instant, knew they must be firebenders. Meanwhile, the man behind the desk set down his writing quill and folded his hands calmly on his lap, his expression mild. As this was happening, Mr. Chen twisted his body and gazed at her intensely. His unspoken message was clear.
A few tense moments after, she took a deep breath and relaxed. Don't let this turn into another blow up like the doctor's office…
She took another steadying breath and, at last, joined Mr. Chen in the recessed sitting area. She lowered herself gingerly, her face a constant grimace as the muscles in her back strained and her wounds pulled against the stitches. She stifled a moan as she came to rest on her knees, her back screaming with pain. At least the cushion was soft beneath her knees.
The man at the desk observed her labored movements keenly before switching his attention to Mr. Chen. "So, Bo," he began with pleasant curiosity. "What brings you here?"
"Shinzo, there has been a terrible mistake," Mr. Chen explained. "Several of my wards and their caretakers were confronted by a crew in the Mori district—"
The man's eyes widened and his gaze switched to the teenager girl. "Is this her?!" He interrupted abruptly, his warm, pleasant expression gone, replaced by suspicion and urgency.
Azula detected a hint of accusation in his tone. "That depends," she replied calmly. "Who do you think I am?"
The man's lips compressed to a thin line upon her response. His eyes narrowed. "Yep, you must be." His eyes switched back to Mr. Chen's. "I heard it wasn't an accident. I heard she was given many opportunities to walk away but didn't."
Azula's stomach churned. Doctor Izumi had chastised her for the same thing! Perhaps she really had made a grave error to the people of this city! The man's face was turned to Mr. Chen's but his eyes shifted repeatedly to hers.
"Yes, Shinzo, this is Yuki," Mr. Chen explained in an apologetic tone. "She is a newcomer to Taizao and we are helping her get established. She is unaccustomed to the complexities of city life. Had she known who she was dealing with, she wouldn't have lashed out as she did. Isn't that right, Yuki?" Mr. Chen inclined his head at her.
Azula's brow lowered and her lower lip thrust out a bit. 'Lashed out'?! Petulant children 'lash out'! I fought back!
She stifled the upwelling of anger by breathing a quiet sigh through her nose.
… But apparently to these people, that wasn't what I should have done. I can't fathom why, but… I AM supposed to be doing what they tell me…
She inhaled another deep breath and exhaled just as slow. "No," she answered at last. "I wouldn't have."
The man at the desk continued to regard her carefully. He returned his attention to Mr. Chen. "So what do you want from me?"
"Protection," Mr. Chen said earnestly. "We have no intention of starting a war with anyone. What do you need from us so we can be placed under your protection?"
"'No intention'?" The man repeated Mr. Chen's words. "That's not what I heard." His gray eyes shifted back to the teenage girl's. "From what I was told, you were on a righteous path of destruction against them, struck them while they were down and even was about to kill one of them until the police stopped you. I also heard you threatened the surrounding townsfolk. Is this true?" He raised one eyebrow, his shrewd expression unchanged.
Azula's stomach filled with butterflies at the man's accusation and rather accurate portrayal. He did not sound like he was keen on helping her. "You keep saying you 'heard'," she spoke delicately and quietly. "But… You weren't actually there?"
The man's lips twitched in amusement. He chuckled. "What, are trying to figure out what you can hide from me?"
She scowled at the accusation. "No," she replied firmly. Yes…
The man smirked, then smiled. "I hear about everything that happens in this city, especially from neighborhoods that are under my protection and in districts I have a lot of clients in. So tell me…" His expression hardened again and he stared at her squarely. "Is that what happened?"
Azula remained silent, her scowl fading to an uncertain frown. "Yes," she admitted finally, her voice low and her ears warm.
The man's eyes narrowed. "That kind of aggression and stubbornness can be difficult to control in firebenders, and prone to getting out of hand…"
Her spirit deflated further at this comment. It sounded as if he was describing her numerous 'blow-ups' that had gotten her into trouble these part few weeks. Her shoulders slumped and she listened carefully.
"… And it makes me think that, in a few weeks from now, maybe a month, you'll be caught torching another street in an act of blind fury, at which point people will be asking me why I wasted my time defending such an uncontrollable, dangerous firestorm when she could have been dealt with sooner, not only hurting others but also tarnishing my good name as a protector of the people. In short, I don't help people who can't also help themselves. Do you follow me?" He stopped and waited for an answer.
"Yes," she replied weakly, barely above a whisper.
The man nodded. "Good. So please understand why, at this moment, I am not the least bit sympathetic to your case."
"Shinzo, please!" Mr. Chen begged.
The man raised one hand and Mr. Chen fell silent. "Please don't interrupt, Bo. Allow the young lady speak for herself." He didn't take his eyes off her. "Please, Yuki, explain to me in your own words why I should help you."
The man fell silent.
The knot in her belly tightened. It's like what Doctor Izumi said. She wouldn't help me if I didn't promise to be docile, and now HE won't help me if he thinks I'm too dangerous I'm NOT too dangerous but… It's what everyone else thinks that matters…
She breathed another deep sigh and met the man's eyes, her face not showing an ounce of defiance or pretension. "To be quite honest Mister…" She trailed off.
"Shinzo," he completed for her. "Call me Shinzo."
"Shinzo," she repeated. She paused to collect herself. "… To be quite honest," she recovered her train of thought and the courage to proceed. "Nobody has managed to explain to me what danger I'm in, or what you can do to actually 'protect' me."
The man's eyebrows lifted in apparent surprise. He nodded and appeared impressed with her. "A very fair question that I am happy to answer." He relaxed in his high-back chair and laced his fingers on his lap comfortably, his expression turning mild and calm.
Azula took a deep breath and relaxed. Her question had not offended the man. "Those men you torched weren't common thieves or mere goons," Shinzo explained. "If they were, then Bo wouldn't have bothered to bring you here, unless, that is, he's scared of angry shop owners banging on his door to receive payment for the damage you caused." He chuckled to himself. "No, those men were well-connected members of the Mori Clan that controls the organized crime in that section of the city."
As he spoke, a certain word caught in her mind. 'Clan'? Her face wrinkled in confusion. Clans don't exist outside the nobility. They haven't existed for centuries and those men didn't look like nobles…
"… It seems your group ran into them while they were performing local enforcement duties in their community." He paused. "I can see on your face that you don't understand. I'll explain. 'Local enforcement'," he repeated the term casually. "Simple stuff, like keeping out hooligans and vagrants the police don't bother with; tracking down rapists and thieves who the police can't catch, and even keeping mentally defective types away from scaring away customers. That sort of thing."
Azula's eyes tightened a little. "But they were stealing from us," she spoke with resolve. "That makes them criminals."
"Stealing would be a harsh way of putting it. They were punishing you in hopes of deterring you from ever coming back. Sort of a neighborhood watch without legal power but broad support of their community."
"I don't see the difference," Azula replied tersely. "Nobody outside the vassal government or Crown can make those sorts of demands, and they were neither."
"Do you live in the Mori district?" The man asked calmly.
"No."
"Have you ever run into the Mori Clan prior to today?"
"I didn't even know about them until just now."
"Then they can make those sorts of demands of you," he said with cool certainty. "You should be quiet and listen. This is important."
Azula's brow lowered in a scowl.
The man continued. "You didn't just fight back against those men, you embarrassed them, bad, and from what I understand, you empowered some of the locals against them, too, the ones who don't appreciate the services they provide their community. Now, the fact that you fought back?" He gave a brief shrug. "That's not a big deal to them. It's to be expected. What is a big deal is that you made them look like children in front of the people whose respect they are supposed to have. They're not going to let this slide. They are going to seek revenge you, and as sure as the sun will rise, they will… Unless I put a stop to them."
She peered at him in vague confusion. "What more can you do that I haven't?"
"You mean other than knocking them down with my fists and flames?" He questioned in a flippant manner.
She hesitated. "… Yes."
The man nodded. "I hold a lot of sway in the greater community of Taizao. If I tell those men to do something, they'll do it. If I tell them to jump, they'll ask how high. If I tell them to worship the ground you walk on, they'll treat you as if you were a princess of the Fire Nation, one that isn't crazy that is…"
Her gut knotted at the slanderous reference but she suppressed any outward show.
"Consequently," the man went on. "If I tell them not to do something, they won't, including not harm you. The complicating factor, however, is that it's not just going to be those four coming after you. It'll be the entire Mori Clan, and if you think the Mori Clan is just a bunch of middle-aged men picking on kids and retards—no offense, Bo—then you are sorely mistaken. Making matters worse, there's also going to be a lot of angry townsfolk banging on their doors to demand payment from you for their destroyed property. Needless to say, they're going to feel a lot of pressure to make sure the teenage firebender who humiliated them and destroyed part of their neighborhood is taught a lesson that nobody will forget… Unless, of course, I put a stop to it. My involvement will be expensive, though. These are powerful people you're dealing with. It will also require your full dedication and humble cooperation. Your life can be saved, I am sure of it."
A queasy feeling began to churn in her gut. 'Dedication'? 'Humble cooperation'? In terms of what? She gulped down the rising sickness and took a calming deep breath. "Why can't I just go to the police?" She asked softly, with honest puzzlement.
"You have three options," the man spoke frankly in response to her question. "Your first is to do nothing. Continue with your life as normal and rely on yourself for protection, but I guarantee you, in a few weeks, maybe a month, they'll snatch you up when you least expect it and, after a few days, once they've gotten tired of you, your dead, naked body will be found on the beach getting picked apart by crabs."
Azula cringed at the macabre description.
The man's expression did not change. "Your second option is, as you suggested, to go to the police. They'll tell you one of two things. The first will be to take a hike. Since they already let you off easy they're not going to go out of their way to protect a tempestuous firebender who's already caused substantial damage to the citizenry, not to mention, has made herself an enemy of a group as powerful as the Mori Clan. You've already seen first hand what they think of firebenders who use extreme violence to defend themselves. Eight lashes across the back is standard."
Her wounds ached and burned; all eight of them. "I was defending myself," she replied with tepid resolve.
"Maybe at first, but not when they found you with a fire dagger in your hand."
The corners of her lips quirked down and her jaw clenched. He really does know a lot… Doesn't he?
"The second thing they'll tell you is to go find help elsewhere, which brings you here. Now, I know Bo personally. He wouldn't bring you here if he didn't believe you and his interests were in grave danger—which they are—or if you weren't worth my time to help—which I'm not sure of. So, Yuki, I'll ask you: would you like me to put a stop to your imminent doom?"
The room fell into silence.
Azula's face was strained as the man's words echoed in her mind. Her eyes flicked to the two guards behind the man and the hairs on the back of her neck tingled as she sensed the two swordsmen behind her. Her stomach churned as the scene of debauchery and almost-nude women at the front of this man's so-called 'hotel' replayed in her mind.
Cooperation… Humble… Dedication… She repeated his words. What does he mean by that? What am I supposed to do for him? The knot in her stomach twisted tighter. She swallowed and steadied herself for her reply. "Are you certain this isn't something I can do myself?"
The man's expression dropped and his jaw fell open. He gazed at her in dull disbelief until he rolled his eyes to Mr. Chen's.
"Yes, she wants your help," Mr. Chen answered for her.
The man shut his mouth and pursed his lips, his expression becoming cold. His attention switched back to the teenage girl. "To answer your question," he said with a touch of impatience. "No, this not something you can do yourself. What's your answer?"
She held her tongue. She scoured her mind for the best response, for the proper understanding of the situation that was altogether new and unknown to her, all while noting that the man at the desk appeared cross with her and her caretaker from the charity home was expecting her to cooperate with him.
Remember, Azula, you're trying to hide from Zuko, the Avatar and the Crown. You've already had a run-in with the local government. They're the ones who will be looking for you when the wanted signs go out, if they haven't already. You don't want to keep showing your face to them or give them a reason to suspect you're somebody else. I've already been told repeatedly that my fighting was a mistake and both Mr. Chen and this man are saying there's a way for me to avoid further trouble, without having to show my face to the town guards. But—god—I don't even know what he expects from me or what I'm getting myself into by agreeing!
"Then ask him, dummy!" Her mind shouted at her.
What better option did she have? Her life was different now, permanently. Blasting people with her fire or forcing them to bend to her will was what the princess in her would do. That wasn't part of her anymore. She had to play by different rules; the rules of the commoners…
"Okay," she answered softly, making her decision. "What am I supposed to do?"
The man's face thawed but remained neutral. "Staving off the Mori Clan will be exceptionally expensive. Fortunately, a firebending girl of your age and appearance will garner a high price in the pleasure districts."
A chilling wave crashed through her. "What?"
"Only the finest clients, I should add. None of that riffraff of the lower classes. You would be serving the wealthy communities."
Her jaw fell.
"You'll be given a place to live along with free room and board while the wages you earn as an entertainer will go to covering the costs of our protective services. Your first year will consist of your training but that will count toward your employment. We have a standard contract you can sign today. Once it's signed, you will fall under my organization's protection and you'll be given adequate time to get your affairs in order before you begin your new life in the Hoga district."
The man fell silent and rested his eyes on her mildly, as if what he had just suggested to her was as normal as a mere stroll through the garden.
Azula gaped at the man in frigid silence. One could have heard a pin fall. Eventually, she blinked as her mind came to. Pleasure district? Entertainer? What?!
Her mind reeled.
Technically, 'entertainer' was a board term related to anything from musicians, magicians, players, gambling, and… Other things that she knew little about but could only picture from scrolls and descriptions in books. That… That, no. That can't possibly be what he means…
"You said I would be an 'entertainer'," she repeated the term uneasily. "How exactly will I be entertaining?" The knot in her belly stopped growing tighter as she waited for clarification. Meilin had used the term 'client'. Please, tell me—
"You'll become skilled in the various arts of calligraphy, flower arranging, tea ceremony and music," the man explained. "You'll become well-read and knowledgeable of current events. You will learn to be charming and witty in conversation. Overall, you will be an expert in the art of entertaining men."
"WHAT?!" Her voice cracked.
The man frowned. "Are you confused or does this offend you?" He asked in a dull tone.
She gnashed her teeth and growled. "Is this a joke?!" She fired furiously at him.
"No joke," the man replied. "This is what it will take to guard your life and make it worth my organization's effort."
Her mouth hung open, in horror and outrage, disbelief and humiliation. Her mind struggled to put words to her feelings. Worse of all, he appeared dead serious. "This… This is an outrage!" She sneered. "Surely there is something else I can do?!"
It was the man's turn to appear offended. "It isn't an outrage and no, there isn't anything else. I said it would be expensive. I said you would have to show humility and dedication. This is what it will take to save your life. It should be worth it to you."
"Oh, so what, I become some meek plaything for the rest of my life?!"
The man cringed. "That is a wholly inaccurate depiction of what you will be. You will be an elegant member of affluent society. The finest clothes and jewels will become commonplace to you. You will become well-read in the finest of Fire Nation literature and history. You will be valued for your mind and charm. Yes, it is true that you will have to provide a full range of services but you'll be treated exceptionally well, like a proper lady, and nothing like a non-bending streetwalker passed around in the poor neighborhoods, which is what I think you have in mind. It is not that. It is absolutely not. This is a refined affair."
Azula gaped in utter bafflement. Streetwalker? Passed around? What the HELL does any of that mean?! EVERYBODY walks on the streets!
Despite the man's odd choice of words, the prevailing subject matter reminded her of Meilin's story. It made her sick.
"Anyway," the man continued nonchalantly. "You have a lot working to your advantage in this regard: your youth, your firebending talent and your, quite honestly, fiery persona. All of that combined will make you highly desirable. The scars on your back might hurt you," he speculated that last part thoughtfully. "But to the clients who value your firebending, it will tell them that you are truly a fighter and they will want you even more. In fact, I would not be surprised if you find a rich husband from this," he explained with optimism, like a prospector discovering a potential vein of gold. "Should that occur, your husband-to-be would pay the courtesan house you're staying with—"
Azula's mouth hung open again. Wait, wait, wait, wait, what? A courtesan? A COURTESAN? Oh my god… Oh my god, he's not even hiding it. I'd be a courtesan. A lousy courtesan! Not even a geisha!
"—A lump dowry of which my organization would take a portion. Your employment contract would be terminated, any obligations you hold to my organization would cease and any ill will the Mori Clan holds toward you will be erased. You'll be safe for the rest of your life, that is, of course, unless you get into more fights with the Mori Clan." He chuckled to himself again and smothered his juvenile tone. "This is a highly likely outcome," he spoke seriously. " That I highly recommend you consider."
Her mouth closed and her teeth clenched. Her brow drew down and her upper lip curled, revealing her teeth in a silent snarl.
"So what do you think, Yuki?" The man asked splendidly, seemingly ignoring her vicious expression. "Are you ready to take this exciting next step in your life?"
She said nothing. She just glared at the man in stony silence as she tried to prevent herself from erupting like a volcano, to remain as courteous and respectful as everyone had told her to be. She tried to figure out how to respond. She still had no solution to the apparent danger she was in, other than to destroy all who oppose her. At last, she took a deep breath, relaxed her expression and regarded the man with as much calm and demure as the raging inferno inside her allowed.
"Mister Shinzo," she forced herself to speak properly. "I am not that kind of lady. I will never debase myself in the manner in which you have described. Offer me something more palatable so that we may come to an agreement."
He chuckled again and smiled. "Well, you certainly speak like that kind of lady. There's no shame in that." He shook his head and his tone shifted. "I can't. This is what it will take."
"Off me something else," she spoke more severely.
"There is nothing else. Look at it this way: it could be much worse for you. If you were a non-bender, you would become a lowly prostitute working in some dump brothel, or if you were a boy, you would have to be a slave laborer on a fishing boat. This is really a good opportunity for you. In fact, I'd even say you're fortunate."
Azula's eyes narrowed. He had used a certain word: slave, an outlawed practice in the Fire Nation. "What do you mean 'slave'?" She asked with shrewd suspicion.
The man blinked. He appeared caught off guard. "Just a figure of speech," he replied with a shrug. "Indicating that all the wages you earn would go to providing your protection, like an indentured servant. At least as a courtesan, you will be improving your lot in life immensely and you'll most likely earn your independence through a husband."
Her face scrunched into an angry scowl. He had used that word again: courtesan. Her insides boiled. "You think this is funny, don't you?! Seeing me fall this low?! Picturing me in a courtesan's outfit, with my face painted and me kneeling before men while I smile and giggle like a worthless tease as if I were any other lowly person!"
The man appeared bewildered. "'Fall'? 'Low'? What are you talking about? You'd be rocketing to the top. And you are any other 'lowly person'. This is your chance to climb the social ladder and live a life of opulence and luxury, and it's here for the taking, right here, right now."
"I won't do it."
The man gave an exasperated sigh. "Look, Yuki, I get it. You're a tough girl with a certain image of yourself that you don't want to change. I respect that, and believe me, it won't be erased when you become an entertainer. People will like that about you but right now your pride is clouding your judgement. You have to decide if your life is more valuable than your pride."
"I did decide!" She growled. "I decided when I chose not to be a coward and I fought back against those criminals! I have a better idea: how about you decide to be an upstanding citizen and use all of this supposed 'power' you have and stop those criminals yourself! Hm?! Instead of letting a teenage girl do it?!"
"Yuki, be polite!" Mr. Chen whispered sharply.
The man at the desk sighed. "Nobody asked you to oppose those men or injure a dozen people or destroy two storefronts, carts and several merchants' stands."
"I'm asking you!"
"To destroy people's property?"
"To oppose them!"
The man shook his head. "Not without your humble cooperation."
Azula inhaled a deep, hot breath through her nose to stifle the bubble of rage. "Let me get this straight," she said in a low, threatening tone, lowering her chin and staring at the pretentious man. "You know who these fiends are. You know what they did and you have the ability to stop them, but you won't because you'd rather make money off of me?!"
"No, not 'make money'," he repeated her words. "Cover the costs," he specified.
"RIDICULOUS!" She fired back.
"No, Yuki, what's ridiculous is blowing up half a city block, burning kids and elderly with your reckless firebending and almost plunging a fire dagger into a man's heart in front of a crowd during broad daylight and not expecting there to be lasting consequences. Also keep in mind that 'stopping these fiends', as your mind sees it, is the sole responsibility of the government and its enforcers. We mere citizens are not allowed to resort to the type of violence and destruction you have, unless, of course, we are properly compensated for this willful violation of the law."
"I know what the law is!" The former royal sneered.
"So what's your decision?"
"And that's another thing!" She ignored him. "How do you know so much about what happened?! You weren't there!"
"My sources told me. News travels fast in this city."
"Oh, please!" She rolled her eyes. "This city is gigantic! Word doesn't travel that fast!"
"You would think differently if you had lived here longer, according to Bo."
"Pfft! 'Sources'," she scoffed, returning to his prior statement. "I have 'sources' too. They tell me that the activities occurring on these premises are to be confined to the appropriate, regulated pleasure district, and be registered with the local magistrate's office, and so this establishment is currently operating in violation of the law."
The man's eyes narrowed at her.
Mr. Chen leaned toward her. "Don't insult him, Yuki!" He whispered.
She ignored him. "Who told you what happened?!" She pressed the attack.
"People who felt it pertinent that I know what occurred in my community."
"Ha! You expect me to buy that? That district is miles from here. That isn't your 'community'!"
"Well, I don't live here if that's what you're thinking." The man chuckled. "I have protected clients all throughout the city, including in Mori."
"So why did they come to you if the police already handled it? I was dragged away and flogged! It should have been over and done with!"
The man shrugged. "I don't know what else to tell you."
Her eyes narrowed. "You're hiding something from me."
The man eyed her carefully. "Are you suggesting I'm lying? You don't get far in this world if you lie. Mr. Chen can tell you all about that."
She grate her teeth at his slipperiness. "You're not being forthcoming."
The man blinked. His expression turned blank and he stared at her without any indication as to what he was feeling or thinking. A second later, his lips curved into a grin and he laughed. "You're absolutely right!" He said charmingly. "I'm not being forthcoming. You would indeed make an excellent entertainer with that sharp mind of yours…"
He took a deep breath and smothered his grin to a mere pleasant smile. "Yes, Yuki, I am hiding information from you but that's because you are not obliged to now the intimate details of my organization, nor am I obligated to tell you any."
Azula steeled her face into a mask of stoic calm. "Tell me, and I will trust you enough to seriously consider your proposition."
The man's face became equally shrewd. He eyed her carefully in stony silence for a length of time until, finally, he nodded. "Okay," he said plainly. "I will honor that." He inhaled a deep breath and sat straight, folding his hands on his desk and leaning forward a little. He stared her straight in the eye. "The reason I know so much about what happened today is because the men you fought told me personally. They told me…" He trailed off. "Because I am the leader of the Mori Clan."
She gasped. Her eyes went wide and her heart hammered with fear. She shot to her feet, grimacing and hissing in pain as her back muscles strained, and raised her hands in a barely-executed firebending stance. She heard swords slip from sheaths behind her while the two guards on the dais raised their own fists and started forward.
"Stay back!" She growled. "You know what I'm capable of! I'll blast all of you if you come any closer!"
Her teeth were bared in a half-snarl, half-grimace. She glanced over her shoulder briefly then switched back to the firebenders in front.
The man behind the desk raised his right hand in a calm gesture. All of the guards halted. The clan leader appeared unconcerned. "You are definitely a firebender," he spoke with fascination. "Go ahead," he said simply. "Let's see how far you get."
Azula's jaw set. Her heart thumped in her ears and her sweat ran cold as an awful sick feeling churned in the pit of her stomach. None of the guards attacked. Neither did she.
The clan leader viewed her through the gap between his guards. His hands remained folded calmly while his expression remained patient and mildly curious. After a short while, he spoke. "It takes about six hours to recover from a fully body chi-block. Nice try, though. It was good thinking…" He pushed away from his desk and rose, and moved past the protection of his guards… Toward her.
Her lips slammed shut as her teeth began to chatter with fear. She reoriented her body so as to keep a better eye on the swordsmen behind her and passed Mr. Chen a quick glance as she did. The old man appeared just as horrified and confused as her.
"Shinzo, I… I didn't know you were in charge of the Mori Clan!"
"I married into the family years ago," the man replied coolly as he drifted closer, his hands clasped behind his back in a regal manner. "Now be quiet."
Azula raised her arms higher and bared her teeth as her lacerated muscles and seams of her wounds stretched and pulled. The clan leader stepped into the recessed sitting area. "Don't come any closer!" She shouted.
"Don't worry, I have no intention of harming you," he replied smoothly. He raised one hand again. At once, the swordsmen sheathed their swords and retreated and the firebenders lowered their hands and returned to their positions in the corners of the dais.
Her eyes widened in bewilderment What?! Why is he…?
The man approached her and she took a step back. He stopped and she opened her mouth to speak…
… But no words came out.
"You're wondering why I haven't killed you?" He asked the question for her.
After a moment of tense silence, she shut her lips and glared. It was all she could do to hide the fearful tremors shaking her body.
The man nodded. "It's simple; I don't see you as my enemy, Yuki. Yes, those were my foot soldiers you embarrassed but they were, quite honestly, idiots for picking a fight with someone they didn't know and who showed such resolve to oppose them."
Her mind swam with fear and panic as she was forced to listen to the enemy criminal who stood several inches taller than her… And who knew she couldn't firebend. If Zuko found her in this condition, she would be forced to live a life of misery and torture in the asylum or dungeon for the rest of her days. With these people… She didn't know. They could do anything to her, like what had been done to Meilin...
Her skin turned cold.
"Now, now, don't be scared, Yuki," the man assured in a sincere tone. "I am an honorable man. I want you to listen carefully to what I have to say."
She kept her hands raised. They were shaking. She thought she felt blood trickling down her back.
The man's hands remained clasped behind his back. He was completely unafraid. "I have no problem letting this incident slide. I have no problem telling my foot soldiers to go pound sand over what happened, but only if you work for me under the terms I explained." His voice was earnest and pleading.
"But… But…" She finally spoke. "But you said…"
He inclined his head. "What I said about the Mori Clan coming after is you true," he spoke grimly. "If you refuse my offer."
Her defiant glare shifted to a troubled, fearful, puzzled frown.
He acknowledged her change in expression. "You see, I don't believe in depraved violence and destruction as you do. I would much rather turn a potential enemy into a friend, or at least a valuable business associate. You can be those things to the Mori Clan, but only if you choose, because as we both know, speaking as a firebender myself, you won't be forced to do anything you don't want. You have to agree to this, by your own free will."
She listened to every word.
"That's why I'm going to let you go. That's why I'm going to let you walk out of here, unmolested and unopposed, so you can return home and think about my proposition clearly. I don't think you're in the right frame of mind right now to make this kind of decision. I want you to go home, return to your routine, get your wounds healed and think really hard about you want. Then, in three weeks," he leaned forward, met her eyes firmly and held up three fingers in his right hand. "I want an answer. If you decide before then, that's fine, but after that… Well… I can't guarantee what will happen. I am a powerful man, Yuki, but even I have to throw red meat to my dogs to keep them loyal and to maintain a certain reputation…" He paused.
"Remember: you have three weeks," the clan leader reiterated. "Until then, you are safe from the Mori Clan. Now… Get going. You have a lot of soul-searching to do..." The man looked past her and motioned to his guards with one hand. The swordsmen approached. "See that she is escorted out and causes no trouble."
The two sword wielders stood behind her. It dawned on her they might be firebenders too.
She glanced over her shoulder at the criminal soldiers, then turned back to the leader, her eyes narrowed and her brow lowered in defiance. She said nothing.
The clan leader's face was impassive. "It would be a shame for such youth and talent to be snuffed out. I trust you will make the right decision." He waved his again.
Both guards placed a firm hand on her shoulders. "Let's go," one of them ordered.
She flinched at their touch but did not resist. Slowly, she lowered her arms to her sides and abandoned all notion that she could fight. Giving the leader one last miserable, hateful glare, she turned her back on him and allowed herself to be led out by the guards. Mr. Chen began to rise.
"You stay," the leader commanded. "I want to speak with you."
Mr. Chen remained seated.
Azula held her chin high as she departed, but as she neared the door, her eyes slid to the floor and her face sagged into a defeated, spiritless frown. She was helpless. Beaten. She could only do as she was told.
The door clicked shut and the swordsmen retook their positions inside the room.
Shinzo had begun to make his way back to his desk when Mr. Chen's eyes darted to the clan leader's. "You couldn't possibly have expected her to accept that?!"
"Are you kidding me?" The clan leader replied over his shoulder. "That was the offer of a lifetime. She'd be a fool not to take it."
"Can't you offer something less… Less unseemly? She's too young for that!"
"Hardly," the clan leader scoffed. "I'd say she's young enough. It'll be a year before she's expected to engage in any of that, anyway." He stepped onto the dais.
"Can't she just be a bargirl or something simple?" Mr. Chen implored.
"Don't be a fool, Bo. She clearly has neither the inherent charm nor temperament for that."
"How much will it cost to make this go away? Tell me. I'll pay it. That's why I brought us here in the first place. To pay the price."
The clan leader turned and stared hard into his old acquaintance's eyes. "Do you know what she did?"
Mr. Chen faltered "Well, yes—"
The clan leader cut him off. "Clearly not. One of my men's hands were burned to the bone while the other had his eyes boiled. He's blind!" He raised his voice for the first time. "Both are begging to be put out of their misery and we're probably going to do that out of mercy for them. They have wives and kids. Do you understand what that means?"
A shadow fell across the old man's face. His mouth hung open in dismay and his eyes slid the floor. "I… I didn't… I… Understand…"
"This isn't just some scuffle she got into! This can't be let go! Unless it's made worth our while!"
Mr. Chen met his former boss's eyes. "Please tell me the price. I'll pay it!"
The clan leader's face hardened to stone. "You can't afford it."
"Please, Shinzo, I beg you!"
"Unlike you, I don't run a charity. I've explained the terms. It's that or nothing." He sat back down at his desk.
Mr. Chen's face crumpled in despair. "But she's only a girl!"
Shinzo raised an eyebrow at his former acquaintance, from days before he rose to power. "You seem afraid she won't make the right choice. I know you have no stomach for this side of the business, Bo. I suggest you do everything you can to make sure she makes the right decision..." He picked up his writing quill. "She has three weeks."
With another wave of his hand, the two swordsmen appeared at Mr. Chen's side. They helped him to his feet gently and escorted him out with the respect a man of his age would confer.
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
The front door to the seamen's hotel opened and Azula was awash in fresh air and sunlight. A firm hand shoved against her back. Hard.
"OW! NOT MY BACK!" She shrieked but her protest fell on deaf ears. The door closed behind her immediately and she found herself back in the outside world. Gull squaws pierced the air and the fishy, salty smell of the ocean filled her nostrils.
She was alone.
Her face was scrunched in a pained, angry scowl as she scanned up and down the pier, but before long, her shoulders slumped and her expression sagged into a spiritless frown. She breathed a long, exhausted sigh and started walking.
"I was completely helpless in there," she whispered to herself, dismal and slow, her tired gaze pointed at the boards of the pier. "There wasn't anything I could have done. So many horrible things could have been done to me…"
She arrived at the edge of the pier. Below her, the sandy-green water of the shallows slapped against the pylons. The edge of the pier was cordoned off by a rope strung from waist-high pillars protruding from the deck. She found one such pillar and leaned against it as her strength to stand withered, and her eyes rested on the distant shore.
This… This can't POSSIBLY be what I'm coming to… Can it?
She returned to the silent security of her mind.
An… An entertainer? A… A woman of… A woman of pleasure? WHAT?! I… I can't even fathom that! I can't be those things! I'm… I'm the princess! It would be humiliating, disgusting, SCANDALOUS! If anyone EVER found out…
Not only would she be a prisoner wasting away in a dungeon with her bending removed, but she would be forced to live out the rest of her days knowing that the world knew what the mighty Princess Azula had become in order to survive, and if the Earth Kingdom teen's experience in this city was any warning, being a non-bender could make things far, far worse.
That man says I either debase myself or I'll be assassinated. Being killed by someone else's hand doesn't matter to me; I'll go down in a blaze of glory if I have to, and at least my life will be over without violating Lu Ten's wishes, but I've already fought back once and look where it got me: the police had no sympathy for me! THEY did this to me! I'm obligated to at least try and make this work. Am I stuck no matter what I do?
She groaned as the darkness grew deeper. Nothing made sense and no solution appeared. Her wounds were utter agony and she was so very tired. She just wanted to lay down in her room at the charity home and wake up from this cruel dream back in the palace as if the events of Sozin's Comet had never occurred. She just wanted to be free of Zuko and living in fear of being captured and abused.
I… I don't understand. I did what I was supposed to, all those years and now. I fought criminals and I'm being punished for it. I crushed those fiends and I'm the one whose treated like a villain! I'm the one who has to sacrifice her DIGNITY!
She shut her eyes as two big tears of anger and anguish squeezed through her eyelids.
It's not fair! I'm the one who captured Ba Sing Se and people call me a lunatic! I can create blue fire and lightning by age fourteen but Zuko keeps beating me and is getting stronger!
I'm everything my father—a Fire Lord—wanted and it all means nothing!
I worked hard!
I sacrificed!
I took risks and I had the guts to survive that forest and start over but now I have to become a slave or risk being assassinated? Now I have to become an enemy of the local government? Now I have to go on the run AGAIN?!
But I can't! I can't keep running! I don't know how to live on my own! I don't know where else to go! I don't—
She paused as the realization dawned.
… I don't even want to keep going.
Despair flooded her heart. I knew this is how it would be. I knew I'd be nothing without my crown.
She inhaled a sharp, shuddering breath and tilted her head back to the sky. As the tears pooled in the corners of her eyes and trickled down her cheeks, her eyelids peeled open and she gazed at the blue, tranquil heavens. "Why did you send me here?" She whispered to her cousin's ghost.
"Yuki!" She heard her false name called. She recognized the voice. Immediately, her brow drew down and her face scrunched into an angry scowl.
Mr. Chen stopped somewhere behind her. "Yuki," he panted. "Yuki, I'm sorry! I didn't know he was connected to those men! I didn't think that's what he'd ask of you! I begged him to take money but he refused!"
Her nostrils flared. "So you've come to tell me I'm wrong to refuse him?! That I should be punished? That I should be reduced to a plaything for the rest of my life?!"
Mr. Chen didn't answer.
Her veins pulsed with shock and outrage. She growled and spun around, her eyes flashing with fury. "Who was that man and why do you know him?!"
Mr. Chin flinched. "Shush! Keep your voice down!" He whispered, glancing from side to side in search of anyone who might have heard.
"ANSWER ME!" She roared.
"Okay! Okay!" He relented. "Just keep your voice down!" He pleaded.
She shut her mouth and maintained her furious glare.
Mr. Chen steadied himself with a deep breath and met her eyes. "There are… Powerful groups in this country that control all sorts of criminal activities, small enough to avoid the wrath of the Imperial Government but large enough to have a lot of wealth and influence in the various domains. The man you met controls one of those groups."
Azula's brow drew lower. "So how you do you know him so well? He used your first name!"
Mr. Chen winced. "I was a merchant trader—a ship's captain—for many years. In addition to the taxes I had to pay local daimyo, there were other people I had to pay. Shinzo was one of them. And, well…" His tone shifted. "I might also have done some… Smuggling for him…"
Azula's jaw dropped and all her fury washed away. She gaped in speechless, dumbfounded shock at the old man.
"But that was decades ago!" Mr. Chen said earnestly. "I have nothing to do with it anymore!"
Her expression did not change. All these weeks she had been living with a former criminal and he had brought her into the lair of current ones. She didn't know who, or what, she was looking at anymore.
Mr. Chen read her expression completely. His shoulders slumped and his frown deepened, betraying his own misery. "Let's get you home," he said dejectedly. "I'll explain it all on the way…"
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
The clan leader sat at his desk, handwriting cryptic letters to associates throughout the city. A while after Bo Chen and his teenage girl had left, he placed his writing quill down and inclined his head to one of his guards.
"Have Feng come see," he ordered the firebender.
The man gave a curt bow and left the room through one of the doors built into the wall behind the desk. A few minutes later, the guard returned, followed by a shirtless man who wore white bandages wrapped around his mid-section. They covered a large, circular burn.
The clan leader reclined in his seat as he stared at his foot soldier, who had been released from prison just an hour ago, without trial. "Guess who I just spoke to?"
The foot soldier shrugged.
The leader regarded the man calmly. "Your girl."
The foot soldier's jaw fell. "Did you kill her?" He asked expectantly.
"Of course not!" The leader scoffed. "Did you look at her?!"
The foot soldier was puzzled. "Well, yeah, of course I did. She did this to me. Of course I saw her."
"No, I mean did you look at her? At her face? Her body? Listen to her voice? She's an absolute gem. We'll make a fortune off of her. That she rolled you idiots over will make noble families come far and wide to bid on her hand in marriage."
The injured man's face relaxed in understanding. "So what are we going to do?"
"To her? Nothing. For now. I gave her an offer she needs to agree to willingly, but if the deadline comes and she hasn't given us an answer, I want her squeezed." He clenched his right hand into a fist. "I want her so afraid of the consequences of refusing us that she comes crawling back here begging. If that doesn't work though…" He shrugged. "Then your crew can make an example of her, but until then, she doesn't get harmed. I want this girl in our books, and we're going to do it…"
"… By making her fear the Mori Clan."